THANK YOU!!!!!

Thank you to everyone who keeps coming back for health, fitness, and my occasional rants. I really appreciate it!

Real Deal?

I am asked all the time if Beachbody and P90X are the real deal. Of course, I KNOW from experience that YES, they scream "real deal" through and through. However, I LOVE Beachbody and what it has done for me, so perhaps I'm biased.

How about a neutral source who tried P90X AND other infomercial fitness products? This is exactly what happened on Good Morning America. Click HERE to read the results and to see the video.

Hump Day Humor

Are YOU a Statistic?

Wanna know a sad statistic? 3 out 10 people have ALREADY broken their New Year's Resolutions!!!! Are YOU one of "those" people? Come on, are you? Be honest.

I am actually very proud of myself. 2009 brought intense stress that many people never have to endure. 2010 will do the same while I deal with the deployment of my husband.

Despite the stress, I have been able to build my business up to Diamond level in a year's time. I have been able persevere. Truly, the cool thing about having an online fitness business is that it continues to grow even when you can't devote tons of time to it. I am the perfect example of that.

I don't know what 2010 holds for you, but will you give the gift of health, fitness, and financial freedom to yourself and your family? I can show you how. Even as I write this, I can hear you say "Come on, this is too good to be true." People, I'm really not kidding. If you will just give yourself an hour to sit and go through my website, you will see what I am talking about. This isn't a gimmic. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. This is something that can change your life in amazing ways...if you let it.

Don't be a statistic. Let Beachbody empower you with better health: physically and financially!

Apple-Raisin Coffee Cake

* 5 cups apples, cored, peeled, and chopped
* 1 cup raisins
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
* 2 tsp. vanilla
* 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 1 egg, beaten
* 2-1/2 cups whole-grain flour
* 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 2 tsp. cinnamon, ground
* Olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 13"x9"x2" baking dish or pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine apples, raisins, sugar, and walnuts, and mix them together well. Allow mixture to stand for 30 minutes. Then stir olive oil, vanilla, and egg into mixture. Sift the flour, soda, and cinnamon together, and then stir into the apple mixture slowly so that it keeps the mixture moist. Fold batter into pan. Bake 35-40 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Makes 20 servings.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 35–40 minutes
Nutritional Information: (per serving)

Calories: 164
Protein: 3 g
Fiber: 3 g
Carbs: 28 g
Fat Total: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g

Weight Train to Offset Aging

After the age of 30, our bodies start to lose lean muscle mass at a rate of approximately one percent per year. The best way to offset this process is to do some form of resistance training, like lifting weights. All is not lost after 30 either, as numerous studies as well as millions of real-world examples prove that with proper training your fitness level can improve throughout your life. Think of weight training as your fountain of youth.

Steve Edwards of Beachbody

Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God.
it was never between you and them anyway.

By Mother Teresa

Hump Day Humor

Belly fat in women: How to keep it off

Whether it's because of heredity, hormonal changes or aging-related weight gain, many women notice an increase in belly fat as they grow older — and especially after menopause. Gaining fat in your abdomen is particularly unhealthy when compared to other locations in your body. Excess belly fat increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain types of cancers. The good news is that a few lifestyle changes and some targeted abdominal exercises can help you battle your belly bulge.

When fat gathers in your abdomen

As you age and your metabolism slows down, the amount of fat in your body slowly increases. Women experience an even greater fat percentage increase than men do. Then after menopause, your body fat distribution tends to shift — less in your arms, legs and hips, and more in your abdomen.

You may think belly fat is limited to the stuff out front that you can grab with your hand — but it's the fat you can't see that's really a cause for concern. Visceral fat lies deeper inside the abdomen, surrounding the abdominal organs. Gaining this type of fat has been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other health problems. Subcutaneous fat, located between the skin and the abdominal wall, is more visible but also less likely to be a health risk.

While a slowing metabolism and decreased physical activity contribute to overall weight gain as you age, those factors don't influence visceral fat accumulation directly. Heredity may be the culprit — you may simply have inherited a tendency to gain weight in your midsection. Hormones also play a role. Hormonal changes after menopause may change the way that your body breaks down and stores fat, leading to more fat accumulating in your belly.

Some women even experience a widening waist without gaining any weight. Although you may not be gaining extra fat, your abdominal fat is increasing as limb and hip fat decreases. Even in women of a normal weight, too much fat concentrated in the midsection is unhealthy.

The midsection matters

Gaining weight in your abdomen does more harm than simply making your waistband too tight. While putting on weight in general can have negative effects on your health, abdominal weight gain is particularly unhealthy. Too much belly fat increases your risk of:

* Heart disease
* Breast cancer
* Diabetes
* Metabolic syndrome
* Gallbladder problems
* High blood pressure
* Colorectal cancer

Researchers also have found that abdominal fat cells aren't just dormant energy waiting to be burned up. The cells are active, producing hormones and other substances that can affect your health. For example, some fat-cell-produced hormones can promote insulin resistance, a precursor to type II diabetes; others can produce estrogen after menopause, which may increase your breast cancer risk. Researchers are still sorting out how the excess hormones affect overall health, but they do know that too much visceral fat can disrupt the body's normal hormonal balance.

Measuring your middle

You know you've gained some inches around your torso, but how can you know whether it's an unhealthy amount? You can calculate your body-mass index (BMI) or waist-hip ratio, but researchers have found that simply measuring your waist can tell you whether you have an unhealthy amount of belly fat. In fact, BMI may not be an accurate measure of body fat percentage or fat distribution, particularly after menopause.

To measure your waist, run a tape measure around your midsection at about the level of your navel. Breathe normally, don't hold your tummy in, and don't pull the tape so tight that it presses your skin down. In a woman of healthy weight, a waist measurement of 35 inches or more indicates an unhealthy concentration of abdominal fat. Some research has shown that a measurement of 33 inches or more, no matter what your weight, increases your health risks.

Fight back the bulge

Since visceral fat is buried deep in your abdomen, it may seem like a difficult target for spot reduction. As it turns out, visceral fat responds well to a regular exercise routine and a healthy diet. Targeted tummy exercises can help to firm the abdominal muscles and flatten the belly.

Exercise. Daily, moderate-intensity exercise is the best way to lose belly fat — when you lose weight and tone your muscles, your belly fat begins shrinking, too. In fact, you may notice that your tummy bulge is the first area to shrink when you start exercising. The amount and type of exercise you should get varies depending on your current activity level and your health goals. Talk to your doctor about the right exercise program to promote good health and specifically combat abdominal fat.

Strength training. Some research has shown that exercising with weights is effective in trimming tummy fat. Talk to your doctor about how to incorporate strength training in your exercise routine.

Healthy diet. Changing unhealthy eating habits can help fight belly fat. Read nutrition labels, and replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats. Increase portions of complex carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables, and reduce simple carbohydrates like white bread and refined pasta. If you need to lose weight, reduce your portion sizes and daily calorie intake.

Tone your tummy. While you can't "spot-burn" belly fat, you can firm up your abdominal muscles and get a flatter belly. Traditional sit-ups aren't the most effective way to firm your tummy, however. Instead, use these exercises to target both deeper and lower abdominal muscles:

* Deeper abdominal muscles. Target deeper abdominal muscles by doing "abdominal hollowing" or "drawing in the belly button." First, get down on all fours. Let your tummy hang down as you take a deep breath. Let your breath out, and at the end of your exhalation, gently draw your belly button inward and upward toward your spine. You should feel a slight tightening around your waist — think of it as trying to squeeze through a partially closed door. Hold for 10 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Work up to 10 repetitions. During each effort, your spine position shouldn't change and you should breathe freely. Eventually, you'll be able to do this exercise standing up. It's so subtle, no one should be able to tell you're doing it.

* Lower abdominal muscles. Tone your lower abdomen by doing pelvic tilts and pelvic lifts. To do a pelvic tilt, lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent. Flatten your back against the floor by tightening your abdominal muscles and bending your pelvis up slightly. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat five times and work up to 10 to 20 repetitions.

* For pelvic lifts, lie on your back with your knees bent up toward your chest and your arms relaxed by your sides. Tighten your lower abdomen and lift your buttocks up off the floor, with your knees aimed toward the ceiling. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat five times and work up to 10 to 20 repetitions.

Hormone therapy. Although there are good reasons for some women to try hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause, fending off belly fat isn't one of them. It's true that some studies have demonstrated that postmenopausal women who take HRT are less likely to accumulate abdominal fat than are postmenopausal women who forgo HRT. Other studies, however, found no difference. Meanwhile, questions about the risks and benefits of HRT persist. Talk to your doctor in detail about the risks and potential benefits of hormone therapy before trying it.


Source: Mayo Clinic Staff

One-Ingredient Ice Cream

There is a blog that I LOVE called Our Best Bites. I have used TONS of ideas from those great ladies. When I saw their post for today, I knew that I HAD to send you over to it for the recipe...

One-Ingredient Ice Cream!!!!!! Seriously! How cool...and healthy!!!!!!

So head on over and check it out!

Hats Off

Hats off to all single parents!

Honestly...these past 2 weeks have been so hard. Playing the role of mom, teacher, AND dad, plus having to run every aspect of the household alone is exhausting. I'm learning to get by on less sleep.

Here's a basic run down of my day:
Up at 5am to get caught up on all of the computer stuff.
Work out at 6am. Shower and dress at 7am.
Do chores until I wake my son at 8:30am.
Start school at 10am.
Depending on the day, we throw in occupational therapy, karate, swimming, Cub Scouts, field trips, and as of today 4-H club.
Finish up whatever chores are left for the day.
Eat dinner, hit the hot tub, play with the dogs outside.
Put the big dogs away for the night and let out the flying squirrel at 8pm. Play with him.
FINALLY get the boy into his room between 9 and 10pm.
THEN I finally hit the sack.

Where the heck is MY time?!??!!?! At this point, it no longer exists except first thing in the am. It's ok. I know I have to sacrifice, but wow, it's hard.

The flip side is that I'm having no problem burning the calories I need to burn or walking the steps that I need to walk. It's almost effortless, which is a tad scary.

Mmm…Mmm…Mmmm…Cravings or How Not to Give into Them

According to a recent Cravings’ Survey, 70% of the people polled give into their cravings. We all get cravings, but it doesn’t mean we have to cave in! Here are some tips to help you reduce your cravings:

* Knit a sweater, snuggle with your partner, play with your dog, or paint your toenails! Even a five-minute distraction can ward off cravings.

* Eat a small amount of the food you crave or better yet, allow yourself a cheat treat once a week!

* Create a plan of attack for your next craving.

* A varied diet helps you feel full longer.

* Crave-proof your home and office and keep healthy snacks on hand.

* Brush your teeth.

* Keep a food journal.

Source: Nestle Skinny Cow and dietitian Naomi Orzech

Hump Day Humor

Emotional Eating: Let's Just Flush It!

This picture represents my emotional eating. Yes, it is a real picture taken by my hubby and six-year old son last year in a desperate attempt to help me. I was OUT OF CONTROL! (and angry when I found the pix!)

I understand emotional eating first-hand. I grew up in a Jewish family where EVERYTHING revolved around food. I learned early on that I could eat when I was happy, excited, sad, angry, stressed, celebrating...well, you get the point. Oh yea, plus we ate at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

I carried that practice into my adult life.

As a result, I have gained and lost the same 20 lbs more times than I can remember.

I am on an on-going quest to discover the root of my emotional eating. Sometimes it has been emotionally painful. Sometimes it has been uncomfortable. Sometimes it has been exciting. Always it has been EMPOWERING!

Have I won this battle? Nope. I don't know that it is a battle to win. It is a battle that I can control, however, one day at a time. I have the tools through BeachBody and the best support system in place that a girl can ask for.

I'm flushing that toilet!

(This is a repost from April 2008. It is still so relevant for me that I wanted to share it again. The picture always makes me laugh.)

Stir-Fried Vegetables with Salmon

* 1 cup Chinese cabbage, julienned
* 1 cup bok choy, julienned
* 1 cup bean sprouts
* 1 cup Chinese long green beans
* 1/2 cup carrots, julienned
* 1 tsp. ginger root, chopped
* 1 tsp. garlic, chopped
* 1 tsp. soy sauce
* 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
* 1 Tbsp. chicken stock
* 8 oz. salmon fillet, grilled

Grill salmon for 3 minutes on each side, finish in a 350-degree oven for 5 minutes (while cooking Chinese vegetables). Heat wok and add sesame oil. Then, add long green beans, followed by carrots, bean sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, ginger, and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 1 minute. Add chicken stock and soy sauce and cook until vegetables are tender. Serve immediately accompanied by grilled salmon. Serves 2.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 11 minutes
Nutritional Information: (per serving)

Calories: 290
Protein: 27 g
Fiber: 6 g
Carbs: 12 g
Fat Total: 14 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g

Recommended by Carrie Wiatt

Obesity is on the rise

It is no secret that Americans are gaining weight at record speed in comparison to the rest of the world.

What does this mean?

• People are unhealthy, and they are in need of a realistic solution!
• Today's methods are NOT working.
• Gym memberships are at an all-time high, yet the obesity rate continues to climb.

Why are people failing?

• We pay our gym membership fees and are then on our own.
• Crowded gym space when we are there.
• Drive to the gym and back is inconvenient.
  
• We grow tired of paying inflated prices for supplements.

Team BeachBody has the solution!!!!

• An online community that supports and motivates.
• Simple meal plans with a grocery list!
• Fun, effective, achievable workouts using top-selling DVD programs.
• A chance to earn money working out: $300 daily winner, $1,000 weekly winner!

As a Team BeachBody coach, you:

• Purchase supplements from your own store at a 25% discount.
• Help others to lose weight and be healthy AND make money!

We are invited to do something far bigger than ourselves: changing the tides of obesity---one relationship at a time!!! HELP REVERSE THE TRENDS OF OBESITY!!!!!

Team Genesis

Make No Comparison

When someone wants to change their body weight and composition, one frequent mistake he/she makes is comparing other people's results to their own. This is HAZARDOUS!!! While it is fine to look at other's results for inspiration, remember that they have their own body type, plus they may have not achieved their results in an overall healthy manner. You never know.

You CAN get results...your own results. It just takes patience and time. I am a testament to it. I would have to admit to you that I didn't always eat clean...I didn't do doubles (I tried and couldn't hack it)...I had to takes days off due to illness...my family had situations that I had to attend to. LIFE happened!

My point is this...You must have BALANCE in your life! Without it, you may be fit, but at what cost? As Tony Horton says, "Do your best and forget the rest!"

It is my hope for you that you are on a journey that will last a lifetime. If it takes months or even a year for you to lose the weight and tone up, who cares?!?!?! Pay no attention when you hear what size someone wears. Who cares?!?!?!? Great for them, but it may not be great for your body type.

You are in this FOR YOU! Do not base your self-esteem or self-worth on someone else's accomplishments.

MAKE NO COMPARISON! LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST! GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR ENDEAVORS! FIND BALANCE!

Hump Day Humor

Spinach and Tomato Omelet

Recommended by Kathy Smith

3 eggs (or 6 egg whites), slightly beaten
1/4 cup cooked spinach
6 pieces sun-dried tomatoes
Nonstick spray
Salt and pepper

Soak sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry, cut in half, and season with salt and pepper.

Spray a pan thoroughly with nonstick spray. Add spinach and tomatoes to pan and sauté gently for one minute. Remove from pan and set aside. Add eggs to hot pan and cook for one minute. Sprinkle eggs with spinach and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the eggs are done to your liking. Fold omelet over and turn onto the plate for serving. Try this with warm tomato sauce or a dollop of pesto or goat cheese.

Serves 1.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Nutritional Information: (per serving)
Calories: 331
Protein: 25 g
Fiber: 3 g
Carbs: 10 g
Fat Total: 13.5 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g

The Journey Begins...

Today is a bittersweet day. My hubby begins his 12 month deployment. He won't be overseas for a few months, however, and WILL be able to come home in the next month or so (we hope) for a few weeks.

Anyways, you may have noticed that I've changed the theme of my blog. I will be keeping a patriotic theme until my husband is home safe and the deployment is behind us. I'm incredibly proud of him, and he's doing something he loves and believes in.

I'm trying VERY hard to find inner strength and be strong but don't be surprised if you occasionally find whiney posts here.

Thank you to ALL the military men and women AND their families for the sacrifices made to keep us all safe.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

So...did you drink responsibly?